Kona Hot

[Anthony]

It does look as though the vast majority of the mottling is the painter's artistic effect as shown there, with just a small amount of repairable rust that just happens to be a similar colour. But as I say if you're asking for $1,000US, you ought in your own interests to give pictures that make it quite clear exactly what the condition is.

Paying top dollar for a custom-painted frame in the expectation of it needing repainting would be an odd thing to do. It's putting a whole lot of value into Tom Teesdale's welding being that much better than the Taiwanese guys at Fairly. Modest guy that Tom is, it wouldn't surprise me if he would think it was a bit mad.

 

[andrewl]

I think you Australians must have more money than us. In impoverished England, my eBayometer is pointing to below £500, say $800US maximum.

It would partly depend on whether what looks like mottled rust all over the frame is actually a clever painter's effect or creeping rust. The only close up makes it look like a bit of each, so it may well be that a closer picture of the rest of the frame would help him.

Its creeping rust on the whole frame.

I've seen rust on similar frames and in those cases its only cosmetic and can be effectively stopped from getting worse. If its the case for this bike then with minimal cost/effort it will be a nice rider for many years to come.

Putting it into perspective, I'd rather spend $1000USD on that then a new Kona and you'd probably get it for less if you haggled...